Canadian baby boomers don't believe the current health care system will able to support their increasing needs, according to a new survey.

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A survey by the Canadian Medical Association of adults aged 45 years and older found 81% are concerned with the quality of health care they can expect in the future, while 78% are worried about having access to high quality home and long-term care when they retire.

As well, 61% said they lacked confidence hospitals and long-term care facilities can handle the needs of an elderly population and 60% said there are not enough services to keep seniors in their homes.

Nearly everyone polled — 95% — said there is a need for a national strategy on seniors' health care.

"Politicians should pay attention during the next federal election," CMA president Louis Hugo Francescutti said in a statement Monday. "This should be an issue one would ignore at their own political peril.

"We should not accept that a country as prosperous as Canada has such a large portion of its population living in fear for the future as they age."

The poll found 26% of Canadians help care for an aging family member or friend, and 64% said they experience a high level of stress from taking on that additional work. As well, 71% of caregivers say helping an aging friend or relative conflicts with their personal and work responsibilities.

The telephone survey was conducted by Ipsos Reid between July 17 and 24. It polled 1,000 Canadians aged 45 years and older and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

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